How about the most shamelessly sentimental pop song ever. Quite magnificent in its sappiness.

we survived djing at friends wedding when the cd player broke down with vinyl copies of the "worlds best dico lp", "abbas greatest hits 2" and a "best of two tone collection" in rotation.
choices to avoid:
radiohead
smack my bitch up by the prodigy
she bangs by Ricky Martin
and even though it is popular at weddings "love will tear us apart".

Dusty Springfield - I only want to be
Al Green - Let's stay together
Steve Wonder - superstitious
Sly and the family stone - If you want me to stay
Betty Moorer - It's my thing
Curtis Mayfield - move on up
Marvin Gaye - The Wonderful one

Indie disco

James - Laid
Smiths - Panic
Pulp- Common people
Stone Roses - I am the resurrection
Cult - She sells sanctuary
Housemartins - Happy hour

Groovin'

Outkast - Hey ya
Jamelia - Superstar
Mary j Bligh - Family Affair
Beyonce - check on it

Everybody up

Elvis Presley - Jailhouse rock
James Brown - I feel Good
Dolly Parton - 9 to 5
Michael Jackson - Don't stop til you get enough
Madonna - Ray of light
Abba- Dancing Queen
Sister Sledge - We are family
Madness - madness
Wonderstuff- Size of a cow
The Pogues - Sally Maclenane
Dee-Lite - Groove is in the heart
Shakedown - At Night
S club seven - Keep on moving

End of the night

The Dixie Cups - Going to the chapel
Frank Sinatra - New York New York

...at a wedding disco, Dave Edmunds' "I Knew The Bride" works on just about every level - a surefire floor-filler.

"White Wedding"-Billy Idol

The Police - Every breath you take - a stalker's song, a much misunderstood record and not at all a record for a wedding reception.

On the other hand I second the choice of "I knew the bride.."

danced to War's Low Rider at our nuptuals. It was fun. Then we had a Motown disco. All the hits and more. You can't go wrong. People still talk about it with misty eyed expressions when they think back to it. I know I do...

First Dance:
You're Having My Baby by Paul Anka
followed by
Shotgun Wedding by Roy C.
Perfect

I know someone whose "first dance" was the aforementioned "If You Want Me To Stay" by The Stoneatollah.

Sets a precedent, I'm saying.

I do a bit of decks duty occaisonally (had a to a 10 hour set on my tod this summer, and managed to keep things bouncing most of the time) and regularly do comps for parties. If you contact me via my Word account I can send you ready made set lists.

A winner for any wedding is 'Consider Yourself' from 'Oliver'
(best at the end of the night though)

You have to remember it's a family do - so not a time to score cool points it'll just clear the floor, but can be done without avoiding the usual cheese (Village People, Grease etc) which is just as refreshing for everyone there rather than the usual formula disco.

Warm it up with a bit of polite Disco that builds up neatly
doesn't matter if anyone dances - but sets the scene

The Isley Brothers - It's Your Thing
Marvin Gaye - Got To Give It Up
The Jacksons - Dancing Machine
Cerrone - Supernature
Donna Summer - I Remember Yesterday
Donna Summer - Love's Unkind
Maxine Nightingale - Get Right Back where we Started From
Linda Lewis - It's in His Kiss
Wild Cherry - Play that Funky Music
K.C & The Sunshine Band - Get Down Tonight
Labelle - Lady Marmalade
M.F.S.B - T.S.O.P

Then the Bankers to get them up and stomping are;

Scissor sisters - I Don't Feel Like Dancing
Dee Lite - Groove In The Heart
Kylie - Can't Get You Out Of My Head (the booty remix with Blue Monday is just as good - and is great for mixing into Depeche Mode New Life, which is great for mixing into Soft Cell Bedsitter)

It'll probably be the oldies that keep it going so play for them.
To keep it stomping along I use this Motown medley.

The Jacksons - ABC
Diana Ross - You keep me hanging on
Smokey Robinson - Tears of a clown
Stevie Wonder - Uptight

More Disco

Rose Royce - Is it Love you're After
K.C & The Sunshine Band - That' the Way I Like It
Candi Staton - Young Hearts Run Free
Chic - Le Freak
Shalamar - Take that to the Bank
The Real Thing - Can You Feel The Force

Then these

Gloria Jones - Tainted Love
The Coasters - Love Potion No 9
The Flirtations - Nothing But A Heartache
The Kingsmen - Louie Louie

...but I heard a story about an 80's wedding disco where a proud dad got on the floor to dance with Anne, his newly-married daughter, at which point the DJ saw fit to put on Kid Creole's 'Annie I'm Not Your Daddy'.

Back on topic, 'Dancing Queen' and 'Stayin Alive' always work for me, but if it's romance you're after, 'Rainy Night In Soho' by The Pogues is a very lovely thing to sing softly in the ear of your good lady wife while smooching.

Anyroad, have a great day.

I couldn't agree more that "I knew the bride" will brighten any gathering....my wedding we had a cajun band who filled the dance floor within 15 seconds of firing up and kept it that way 'till the end. The Bon Temps Playboys, since you ask.
http://members.aol.com/BonTempsPlayboys/

When I used to do this stuff (longer ago than you can imagine) my standard "if they dont dance to these they must be dead" list was:-

I Want You Back
Brown Sugar or Honky Tonk Woman
All Right Now
Jean Genie or Rebel, Rebel
Hi Ho Silver Lining
Grapevine

The order would depend on the audience.

Times move on, probably this is now a good list for a retirement party.

Or, god forbid, a funeral........

Put a slip in with the invitations asking everyone to nominate a floor filler and a smoocher or the 5 things they'd like to hear and get those together where possible.

Personally I'd say these would be guranteed to get your party dancin'

Night Fever (well, any disco Bee Gees really)
The Snake by Al Wilson
Anything funky by Stevie Wonder, but Superstition really cuts it.

A great selection, I really appreciate your comments. I now have 11 months to persuade the future Mrs David that "Love Will Tear Us Apart" will make a great first dance...wish me luck.

i.e. cross generational, then I played this lot at a wedding and it worked OK, a bit of something for everyone.

1. Here There and Everywhere - The Beatles
2. All Night Long - Mary Jane Girls
3. Lover’s Rock- The Clash
4. Jackie Wilson Said (I’m In Heaven When You Smile)- Van Morrison
5. Goliath - James Brown
6. Jump - Van Halen
7. Heroes - David Bowie
8. Is This Love- Bob Marley
9. It's a Kind of Magic - Queen
10. God Only Knows- The Beach Boys
11. I Believe When I Fall In Love- Stevie Wonder

My sister is getting married this weekend & has asked me to sort out the music. I am rather impressed that she is walking back down the aisle to Stevie Wonders 'Signed, Sealed & Delivered'

I've done a few weddings and events with people of lots of different ages. Mondo's selections are spot on. I would add the three following tracks

Sister Sledge - Thinking Of You (Best Chic intro EVER)
The Detroit Spinners - It's A Shame
Stevie Wonder - I Wish (this is a great track to lead from the 60s / Motown period into the full on stomping disco)
Freda Payne - Band Of Gold (Bit of a joke record to play at weddings but it's a stomper and never fails)

I also always start proceedings with a bit of Dean Martin, Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Bobby Darin etc. It get's the olds up and dancing in an old fashioned style which people like watching

And finally I would always play a bit of Rock n Roll (hard work as all the tracks are about 2 mins long) but there is nothing greater than watching a load of 60+ year olds jiving). For me key songs in this little burst are

Chris Montez - Let's Dance (A good call to arms so to speak)
Dion And The Belmonts - Runaround Sue
Elvis Presley - Don't Be Cruel (good mid paced shuffler)
Sam Cooke - Twisting the Night Away
Buddy Holly - That'll Be the Day